40 Year Old Lamborghini Jalpa Covers Quarter Mile in 8 Seconds

At the recent King of the Street drag event held at Heathcote Park Raceway in Australia, an extraordinary spectacle unfolded as a modified version of the often-underestimated 40-year-old Lamborghini Jalpa took center stage. Surprisingly, it completed the quarter-mile in a blistering 8.992 seconds at a top speed of 157 mph.

Modified Jalpa’s specs

This transformed Jalpa roared onto the Australian drag strip, defying its status as a relic of the past. The owner of this unique Jalpa dedicated over ten years to redefining the machine for drag duty. Upgrades included replacing the modest 255-horsepower 3.5-liter V8 engine and the five-speed manual transmission with a twin-turbo Chevy LS V8 and a heavily modified Camry transmission, complemented by internals from a GM Turbo 400 gearbox to handle the newfound power and distribute it, smoothy, to its wheels. The pair of Ford XR6 Garrett turbochargers deliver a staggering 690 horsepower to the rear tires on moderate boost. But the madness began when the boost is fully cranked up.

Wheelies

The Lamborghini performed impressive wheelies off the line (watch the 1:05 mark of the clip). While the owner cautiously approached the initial runs, in its best run, the Jalpa completed the quarter-mile in a lightning-fast 8.992 seconds at a top speed of 157 mph (watch the 3:13 mark of the clip to watch its best run).

While this Jalpa may not match the astronomical speeds of its more modern descendants, this achievement is remarkable for a car that is almost 40 years old now

From modest origin to chassis donor

Despite positioning itself as a manageable everyday supercar and an economical alternative to the more powerful and expensive Countach, the Jalpa had a limited production run, with just 410 units sold before discontinuation. After its discontinuation, the maintenance of Jalpa models became increasingly expensive over the years for the owners due to the scarcity of parts and skilled mechanics.

Niks Restoration Journey and other enhancements

Engine

Nik, an Australian owner of a Lamborghini Jalpa P350, decided to enhance the car’s performance boldly. He replaced the stock V8 engine with a more readily available GM 5.7 Liter LS1 engine, instantly boosting the power from 255hp to around 500hp. The conversion involved significant modifications, including custom machining, adapting the transaxle from an MR2 Turbo, and installing a modified automatic transmission from a Toyota Camry which could handle all that additional power.

Chassis

Nik also embarked on a comprehensive restoration of the Jalpa, addressing rust issues and making aesthetic changes such as removing the pop-up headlights, adding a custom exhaust, and integrating reverse lights from a 1966 Ford Mustang. The interior, too, underwent a transformation with black leather and gray stitching.

Braking

Nik improved the braking performance by replacing the original brake system with components from an MR2, which included a brake booster/master and upgraded brake pads.

Results

These modifications led to impressive achievements, as the car achieved a quarter-mile time of 10.65 seconds at approximately 130 mph back in 2014. Furthermore, in his recent run, he surpassed his previous record by covering the same distance in just 8.992 seconds.

Nik’s Previous Run In His Lamborghini Jalpa

Before its current form, Nick actually started upgrading the car with an LS1 engine and obtained a respectable 500hp. But he was not happy and slapped a  Magnuson MP112 Supercharger kit to its LS1, further elevating the power output to 600hp and we have a video of what the car looked like above.

Nik’s unwavering commitment to drag racing and his deep passion for it is exemplified by his exceptional Lamborghini Jalpa. Despite the challenges of sourcing parts and finding skilled mechanics, Nik’s remarkable modifications have transformed the Jalpa into a truly one-of-a-kind performance machine.